LONDON-(MaraviPost)-Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned as prime minister and vacated his seat in government.
The resignation clears the path for a transition of power that officials expect to proceed in an orderly manner.
Andy Burnham has emerged as the frontrunner to succeed him, returning to Westminster this week after winning the Makerfield by-election on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Burnham was sworn in under the traditional procedures of the UK Parliament, affirming his oath of allegiance before assuming his seat in Wigan, England.
Speaking to supporters after the result was declared, he described the outcome as a “turning point” for U.K. politics.
Shortly after the formalities, Burnham made clear that his re-entry into Westminster is tied to a broader ambition to replace Starmer as prime minister.
If confirmed, he would become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just 10 years.
The change could take effect as early as next month, reshaping the country’s political landscape once again.
At 56, Burnham casts himself as an amiable northern everyman who prefers T-shirts to suits and spends spare time playing soccer or spinning 1990s records at DJ battles.
Behind the casual image lies a career that has moved from senior government roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to the mayoralty of Greater Manchester.
He first entered Parliament in 2001 after studying at Cambridge and years of activism in the Labour Party.
Between 2007 and 2010 he served in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet, handling portfolios that included health and culture.
Burnham ran twice for the Labour leadership, in 2010 and 2015, but lost both contests before leaving Westminster to run for mayor.
Since 2017 he has led Greater Manchester, where he has overseen regeneration of the city center and brought the region’s fragmented public transport under public control as the Bee Network.
His tenure during the COVID-19 pandemic earned him the nickname “King of the North,” a nod to his public clashes with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson over what he called a London-centric response.
Burnham also gained national recognition for supporting the families of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster, helping to expose police misconduct and secure a government apology.
Politically, he is seen as to the left of Starmer, a positioning that resonates with many Labour members frustrated by the party’s recent decline in the polls.
His communication style has shifted from the stiff delivery of his earlier leadership bids to a more relaxed, conversational tone that appeals to voters outside London.
In Makerfield he defeated the candidate of the anti-immigration Reform UK party by a decisive margin, reinforcing his reputation as an electorally effective campaigner.
Local voter Ellen Picton, 66, said she was “absolutely thrilled” and described Burnham as “a man for the common people” who understands everyday struggles.
During the campaign Burnham pledged to take his model of “Manchesterism” national, a politics that prioritizes people and place over party and targets regions often overlooked by Westminster.
His priorities include expanding vocational education, creating jobs for young people, lowering energy bills and rail fares, and ending what he calls trickle-down economics.
Critics argue that his platform remains vague on funding and that governing a country of 70 million people is far more complex than managing a city region of 3 million.
Political analyst Tim Bale of Queen Mary University of London said Burnham has the X factor to connect with voters but questioned whether he can appeal beyond the North.
Political analysts note that Burnham’s return adds momentum to discussions about Labour’s direction at a moment when the party’s popularity has slipped since Starmer’s landslide victory two years ago.
For now, his immediate focus will be on representing his constituents in Parliament while testing whether the appeal he built in Greater Manchester can translate to a national audience.
